Overview
Accounting & Finance combines technical competence with strategic financial insight. You will prepare financial statements, analyse costs, and evaluate investment decisions. Campus seminars use real company filings; Excel and accounting software workshops build employability skills. Ethics and governance modules address professional responsibilities expected by ACCA, CIMA, and ICAEW bodies.
BSc (Hons) Accounting & Finance is taught as one award, not a list of unrelated modules. The published length is 3 years full-time, and the credit total is 360. Students move from Introduction to Financial Accounting through Introduction to Financial Accounting; Management Accounting Principles; Business Law for Accountants; Economics for Finance; Quantitative Methods & Financial Mathematics; Business Information Systems & Excel, and finish on Honours Accounting & Finance Dissertation.
Each course has a question, a method, and a submission. In this field, students read a set of figures, build a small case, and state which assumption moves the result. Reading is financial statements, a recognition note, and a risk report. The artefact a marker expects is a recommendation that separates the decision, the numbers, and the risk.
The award is built so that a graduate can do the following in practice: Prepare financial statements under UK GAAP principles Conduct variance analysis and budgeting for management decisions Evaluate investment proposals using NPV and IRR methods
Teaching assumes the student can read a source, attempt a problem before the seminar, and revise after feedback. Attendance at live seminars is part of the design. The capstone or final course must use the methods of the earlier courses; a project that ignores them does not pass.
This course does not confer an accounting, audit, or financial-services licence.
The pages for each course name the topics that are examined. Those topics are the syllabus. A brochure line is not a substitute for them.
Exam exemptions may be available for ACCA papers F1–F4 subject to performance thresholds.
Who This Programme Is For
- ✦Students targeting chartered accountancy routes
- ✦Analytical learners interested in corporate finance
- ✦School leavers seeking finance careers in Edinburgh and London
Faculty spotlight
The programme lead teaches Corporate Finance; Dr. Rachel Innes specialises in audit and governance.
Programme Structure & Delivery
Coursework
Interactive modules, weekly readings, recorded and live seminars, and collaborative discussions with peers worldwide.
Assessment
Module assignments, proctored examinations, and capstone projects designed to demonstrate mastery of the field.
Learning Outcomes
- ✦Prepare financial statements under UK GAAP principles
- ✦Conduct variance analysis and budgeting for management decisions
- ✦Evaluate investment proposals using NPV and IRR methods
- ✦Explain professional ethics in accounting practice
Career Pathways
- ✦Trainee Accountant
- ✦Audit Assistant
- ✦Financial Analyst
- ✦Tax Assistant
- ✦Further Study (MSc Finance)
Assessment
Modules are assessed through a published mix of coursework, applied projects, and examinations. Exam windows are announced in advance so students in other time zones are not forced into overnight sittings. Alternative arrangements are available where documented.
Curriculum
Year 1 — Foundations
ACC101Introduction to Financial Accounting- ACC101-M1 · Statements: income, position, and cash — Introduction to Financial Accounting
- ACC101-M2 · Recognition, ratios, and what the numbers cannot show — Introduction to Financial Accounting
- ACC101-M3 · Cash flows, discount rates, and sensitivity — Introduction to Financial Accounting
- ACC101-M4 · Market, credit, and operating risk — Introduction to Financial Accounting
- ACC101-M5 · Controls, exceptions, and reporting — Introduction to Financial Accounting
- ACC101-M6 · An investment or operating recommendation — Introduction to Financial Accounting
20 creditsACC102Management Accounting Principles- ACC102-M1 · Statements: income, position, and cash — Management Accounting Principles
- ACC102-M2 · Recognition, ratios, and what the numbers cannot show — Management Accounting Principles
- ACC102-M3 · Cash flows, discount rates, and sensitivity — Management Accounting Principles
- ACC102-M4 · Market, credit, and operating risk — Management Accounting Principles
- ACC102-M5 · Controls, exceptions, and reporting — Management Accounting Principles
- ACC102-M6 · An investment or operating recommendation — Management Accounting Principles
20 creditsACC103Business Law for Accountants- ACC103-M1 · Statements: income, position, and cash — Business Law for Accountants
- ACC103-M2 · Recognition, ratios, and what the numbers cannot show — Business Law for Accountants
- ACC103-M3 · Cash flows, discount rates, and sensitivity — Business Law for Accountants
- ACC103-M4 · Market, credit, and operating risk — Business Law for Accountants
- ACC103-M5 · Controls, exceptions, and reporting — Business Law for Accountants
- ACC103-M6 · An investment or operating recommendation — Business Law for Accountants
20 creditsACC104Economics for Finance- ACC104-M1 · Statements: income, position, and cash — Economics for Finance
- ACC104-M2 · Recognition, ratios, and what the numbers cannot show — Economics for Finance
- ACC104-M3 · Cash flows, discount rates, and sensitivity — Economics for Finance
- ACC104-M4 · Market, credit, and operating risk — Economics for Finance
- ACC104-M5 · Controls, exceptions, and reporting — Economics for Finance
- ACC104-M6 · An investment or operating recommendation — Economics for Finance
20 creditsACC105Quantitative Methods & Financial Mathematics- ACC105-M1 · Statements: income, position, and cash — Quantitative Methods & Financial Mathematics
- ACC105-M2 · Recognition, ratios, and what the numbers cannot show — Quantitative Methods & Financial Mathematics
- ACC105-M3 · Cash flows, discount rates, and sensitivity — Quantitative Methods & Financial Mathematics
- ACC105-M4 · Market, credit, and operating risk — Quantitative Methods & Financial Mathematics
- ACC105-M5 · Controls, exceptions, and reporting — Quantitative Methods & Financial Mathematics
- ACC105-M6 · An investment or operating recommendation — Quantitative Methods & Financial Mathematics
20 creditsACC106Business Information Systems & Excel- ACC106-M1 · Statements: income, position, and cash — Business Information Systems & Excel
- ACC106-M2 · Recognition, ratios, and what the numbers cannot show — Business Information Systems & Excel
- ACC106-M3 · Cash flows, discount rates, and sensitivity — Business Information Systems & Excel
- ACC106-M4 · Market, credit, and operating risk — Business Information Systems & Excel
- ACC106-M5 · Controls, exceptions, and reporting — Business Information Systems & Excel
- ACC106-M6 · An investment or operating recommendation — Business Information Systems & Excel
20 creditsYear 2 — Intermediate Accounting
ACC201Financial Reporting & IFRS Standards- ACC201-M1 · Statements: income, position, and cash — Financial Reporting & IFRS Standards
- ACC201-M2 · Recognition, ratios, and what the numbers cannot show — Financial Reporting & IFRS Standards
- ACC201-M3 · Cash flows, discount rates, and sensitivity — Financial Reporting & IFRS Standards
- ACC201-M4 · Market, credit, and operating risk — Financial Reporting & IFRS Standards
- ACC201-M5 · Controls, exceptions, and reporting — Financial Reporting & IFRS Standards
- ACC201-M6 · An investment or operating recommendation — Financial Reporting & IFRS Standards
20 creditsACC202Audit, Assurance & Internal Control- ACC202-M1 · Assets, trust boundaries, and the adversary model — Audit, Assurance & Internal Control
- ACC202-M2 · Threat modelling and attack paths — Audit, Assurance & Internal Control
- ACC202-M3 · Identity, logging, and segmentation — Audit, Assurance & Internal Control
- ACC202-M4 · Detection, containment, and evidence — Audit, Assurance & Internal Control
- ACC202-M5 · Residual risk and what a control does not stop — Audit, Assurance & Internal Control
- ACC202-M6 · Defensive design, test plan, and after-action review — Audit, Assurance & Internal Control
20 creditsACC203Corporate Finance & Valuation- ACC203-M1 · Statements: income, position, and cash — Corporate Finance & Valuation
- ACC203-M2 · Recognition, ratios, and what the numbers cannot show — Corporate Finance & Valuation
- ACC203-M3 · Cash flows, discount rates, and sensitivity — Corporate Finance & Valuation
- ACC203-M4 · Market, credit, and operating risk — Corporate Finance & Valuation
- ACC203-M5 · Controls, exceptions, and reporting — Corporate Finance & Valuation
- ACC203-M6 · An investment or operating recommendation — Corporate Finance & Valuation
20 creditsACC204Taxation Principles & Practice- ACC204-M1 · Statements: income, position, and cash — Taxation Principles & Practice
- ACC204-M2 · Recognition, ratios, and what the numbers cannot show — Taxation Principles & Practice
- ACC204-M3 · Cash flows, discount rates, and sensitivity — Taxation Principles & Practice
- ACC204-M4 · Market, credit, and operating risk — Taxation Principles & Practice
- ACC204-M5 · Controls, exceptions, and reporting — Taxation Principles & Practice
- ACC204-M6 · An investment or operating recommendation — Taxation Principles & Practice
20 creditsACC205Performance Management & Cost Analysis- ACC205-M1 · Statements: income, position, and cash — Performance Management & Cost Analysis
- ACC205-M2 · Recognition, ratios, and what the numbers cannot show — Performance Management & Cost Analysis
- ACC205-M3 · Cash flows, discount rates, and sensitivity — Performance Management & Cost Analysis
- ACC205-M4 · Market, credit, and operating risk — Performance Management & Cost Analysis
- ACC205-M5 · Controls, exceptions, and reporting — Performance Management & Cost Analysis
- ACC205-M6 · An investment or operating recommendation — Performance Management & Cost Analysis
20 creditsACC206Financial Modelling & Business Analytics- ACC206-M1 · The question, the unit of analysis, and data quality — Financial Modelling & Business Analytics
- ACC206-M2 · Features, baselines, and error — Financial Modelling & Business Analytics
- ACC206-M3 · Validation, leakage, and what the model must not decide — Financial Modelling & Business Analytics
- ACC206-M4 · Monitoring, drift, and human review — Financial Modelling & Business Analytics
- ACC206-M5 · Interpretation for a non-technical decision maker — Financial Modelling & Business Analytics
- ACC206-M6 · A supervised project with method, result, and limitation — Financial Modelling & Business Analytics
20 creditsYear 3 — Advanced & Honours
ACC301Advanced Financial Management- ACC301-M1 · Statements: income, position, and cash — Advanced Financial Management
- ACC301-M2 · Recognition, ratios, and what the numbers cannot show — Advanced Financial Management
- ACC301-M3 · Cash flows, discount rates, and sensitivity — Advanced Financial Management
- ACC301-M4 · Market, credit, and operating risk — Advanced Financial Management
- ACC301-M5 · Controls, exceptions, and reporting — Advanced Financial Management
- ACC301-M6 · An investment or operating recommendation — Advanced Financial Management
20 creditsACC302Corporate Governance, Risk & Professional Ethics- ACC302-M1 · Statements: income, position, and cash — Corporate Governance, Risk & Professional Ethics
- ACC302-M2 · Recognition, ratios, and what the numbers cannot show — Corporate Governance, Risk & Professional Ethics
- ACC302-M3 · Cash flows, discount rates, and sensitivity — Corporate Governance, Risk & Professional Ethics
- ACC302-M4 · Market, credit, and operating risk — Corporate Governance, Risk & Professional Ethics
- ACC302-M5 · Controls, exceptions, and reporting — Corporate Governance, Risk & Professional Ethics
- ACC302-M6 · An investment or operating recommendation — Corporate Governance, Risk & Professional Ethics
20 creditsACC303Forensic Accounting & Fraud Investigation- ACC303-M1 · Assets, trust boundaries, and the adversary model — Forensic Accounting & Fraud Investigation
- ACC303-M2 · Threat modelling and attack paths — Forensic Accounting & Fraud Investigation
- ACC303-M3 · Identity, logging, and segmentation — Forensic Accounting & Fraud Investigation
- ACC303-M4 · Detection, containment, and evidence — Forensic Accounting & Fraud Investigation
- ACC303-M5 · Residual risk and what a control does not stop — Forensic Accounting & Fraud Investigation
- ACC303-M6 · Defensive design, test plan, and after-action review — Forensic Accounting & Fraud Investigation
20 creditsACC304International Financial Markets & Derivatives- ACC304-M1 · Statements: income, position, and cash — International Financial Markets & Derivatives
- ACC304-M2 · Recognition, ratios, and what the numbers cannot show — International Financial Markets & Derivatives
- ACC304-M3 · Cash flows, discount rates, and sensitivity — International Financial Markets & Derivatives
- ACC304-M4 · Market, credit, and operating risk — International Financial Markets & Derivatives
- ACC304-M5 · Controls, exceptions, and reporting — International Financial Markets & Derivatives
- ACC304-M6 · An investment or operating recommendation — International Financial Markets & Derivatives
20 creditsACC305Honours Accounting & Finance Dissertation- ACC305-M1 · Statements: income, position, and cash — Honours Accounting & Finance Dissertation
- ACC305-M2 · Recognition, ratios, and what the numbers cannot show — Honours Accounting & Finance Dissertation
- ACC305-M3 · Cash flows, discount rates, and sensitivity — Honours Accounting & Finance Dissertation
- ACC305-M4 · Market, credit, and operating risk — Honours Accounting & Finance Dissertation
- ACC305-M5 · Controls, exceptions, and reporting — Honours Accounting & Finance Dissertation
- ACC305-M6 · An investment or operating recommendation — Honours Accounting & Finance Dissertation
40 creditsAdmission requirements
Academic entry
- A-levels BBB (or equivalent) in relevant subjects, or an Access to HE Diploma with Merit profile
- International Baccalaureate 28 points, or high school diploma with GPA 3.0/4.0 minimum
English language
- English proficiency: IELTS 5.5, TOEFL 46, or equivalent (waived for prior English-medium study)
Documents
- Personal statement (400–600 words) explaining your academic interests and career goals
- One academic reference from a teacher, tutor, or school counsellor
Research & interview
- Optional: portfolio or interview for creative and professional programmes
Programme questions
How long is the BSc (Hons) Accounting & Finance?+
The published duration is 3 years full-time. Teaching language: English. Actual time-to-complete depends on mode and any recognised prior learning.
Can I study this from my country?+
This is a fully online award. You study from your country. No student visa and no campus relocation are required.
What does it cost?+
Degree tuition for this award is published as £0 / tuition-free on the online pathway. Examination or administrative fees may apply at checkout — never an annual tuition invoice. Check the Fees page for any extras.
What are the entry requirements?+
Requirements are grouped on this page (academic, English, documents). Equivalent qualifications are considered. English may be waived after prior English-medium study.
How is the programme assessed?+
Assessment is typically a mix of coursework, projects, and examinations. Doctoral awards include a thesis or dissertation and an oral examination. Details sit in the programme specification and module outlines.
Will this award be recognised where I live?+
Recognition of the award for local employment, professional licence, or ministry attestation is decided by your employer or regulator. Durham University publishes verification pages for certificates. We do not claim automatic equivalence in every country.
How do I apply?+
Start an application on this website. Progress is saved from the first step. Admissions: admissions@durhm.co.uk.
